Ten Years IAGSDC: A Collection of Pages From Our Memory Book

Cover of 10 Years IAGSDC: A Collection of Pages From Our Memory Book

Ten Years IAGSDC: A Collection of Pages From Our Memory Book was published in 1993.

The book contains selected oral histories of the IAGSDC, and covers the first ten years of the organization's existence. While extensive archives of ephemeral material relating to the IAGSDC do exist (see Karl Jaeckel), this book is the only known formal publication of IAGSDC history.

A digital edition of the book was released in 2009 by a team of volunteers.

Production

The book was compiled by Luis Torres, while Roger Coffin performed graphic design, layout and production. A single limited run of the book was produced in 1993, and sold informally by Torres.

In a page entitled "Special Thanks," Torres identified several other people who performed key services to produce the book:

- Ron Bass and George Robbins from Chesapeake Squares and Sandi Baxter and Carole Hammer from the South Florida Mustangs. They were the first “outsiders” to read the completed manuscript, and, when they heard of the financial difficulties, they originated the idea of appealing for assistance across the organization. Their enthusiasm for the manuscript was encouraging to me, and their “good reviews,” given to anyone who would listen, encouraged others to contribute.

- My partner, D.A.S., who footed the enormous long-distance phone bill I generated while trying to contact individuals throughout the IAGSDC.

- Tammy Coddington from Sacramento’s Capital City Squares, who appeared seemingly out of nowhere, and joined Roger and me in helping to produce the publication. She is a printer by profession, and her good will and her contacts made the reproduction possible.

- Dean Hofmann from Finest City Squares in San Diego, who despite the fact that he was in the hospital facing life-threatening medical problems, made the effort to send one of the two largest contributions we received. In his note, he said: “I feel very strongly about the worth of this project, so I willingly send a check to help out.”

Table of Contents

DEDICATION

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

FOREWORD

SPECIAL THANKS

1. PARLEZ-VOUS SQUARE DANCE? by Ett McAtee, Chesapeake Squares, Baltimore, Maryland

2. SQUARE YOUR SETS! A Report from the National Gay Square Dancer’s Convention in New York City, by Luis Torres

3. FROM THE ARCHIVES OF THE IAGSDC #1: ARTICLES OF ORGANIZATION OF THE SOUTH FLORIDA MUSTANGS

4. FROM THE ARCHIVES OF THE IAGSDC #2: THE FIRST GAY SQUARE DANCERS’ FLY-INS-DENVER IN 1982, AND SOUTH FLORIDA IN 1983

5. FROM THE ARCHIVES OF THE IAGSDC #3: SELECTED DOCUMENTS FROM THE ORGANIZATION’S FIRST YEAR

6. AN INTERVIEW WITH ALAN HALL, WESTERN STAR/MIDNIGHT SQUARES, SAN FRANCISCO

7. IN DENVER: FROM MILE HIGH SQUARES TO ROCKY MOUNTAIN RAINBEAUS. AN INTERVIEW WITH KARL JAECKEL

8. CONVERSATION WITH ART SMITH: THE SEATTLE “EXPLOSION” AND THE VANCOUVER CONNECTION

9. FROM THE ARCHIVES OF THE IAGSDC #4: MORE ABOUT THE SEATTLE “EXPLOSION”

10. PLANNING THE FIRST CONVENTION IN SEATTLE: A CONVERSATION WITH AGNES SMITH

11. FROM THE EARLY DAYS IN MIAMI, SAN FRANCISCO, AND LOS ANGELES: ANNA DAMIANI TALKS TO DEAN HOFMANN, SCOTT CAREY, AND BEN TELLER

12. STEPHANIE SPEAKS: WESTERN STAR’S FREEMAN STAMPER ON RECORD

13. THE WILDE BUNCH AND THE BACKGROUND OF GAY SQUARE DANCING IN NEW MEXICO: AN INTERVIEW WITH BILL EYLER

14. THE DYNAMIC DUO: DESISTO AND PRESTON

15. HOW MUCH WOOD? AN INTERVIEW WITH DON WOOD, SEATTLE

16. WE’REALLFANSOFANNE’S! AN INTERVIEW WITH ONE OF THE FAVORITE CALLERS OF THE GAY SQUARE DANCE COMMUNITY: ANNE UEBELACKER

17. PETE DIVEN ON THE LINE: AN INTERVIEW WITH THE POPULAR CALLER OF BALTIMORE’S CHESAPEAKE SQUARES

18. FROM D.C. LAMBDA SQUARES: DAYLE HODGE, CLUB CALLER

19. FROM AMERICAN SQUAREDANCE MAGAZINE: THE STRAIGHT SQUARE DANCE COMMUNITY IS INTRODUCED TO THE IAGSDC

20. THE IAGSDC’S “GOLDEN BOOT AWARD:” ITS HISTORY AND A LIST OF AWARD RECIPIENTS, 1983-1992

21. THE ORIGINS OF THE IAGSDC BANNER by C. Freeman Stamper, Western Star Dancers, San Francisco, California

22. WOMEN IN GAY SQUARE DANCING, OR “THE BELLE IS NOT ALWAYS WHAT YOU THINK SHE IS” by Grace Cummins, The Wilde Bunch, Albuquerque, New Mexico

23. NUDE SQUARE DANCING: WILL IT CATCH ON? (OR:IS IT CATCHING?)

24. A VOICE FROM DRAG-QUEEN HELL: SYBIL CAN’T SHUT UP, EVEN AFTER BEING DEAD FOR MORE THAN A YEAR-“WHERE’S SYBIL?” by Terry Presley, Foggy City Dancers, San Francisco, California, and THE HONKY TONK QUEEN HISTORY by Sybil

25. THIS SQUARE DANCING.. .IT’S PRETTY NEAT! by Jeff Barlow, Capital City Squares, Sacramento, California